Practice Policies

Confidentiality & Medical Records

The practice complies with data protection and access to medical records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:

To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.

To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.

When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the Health Board and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.

If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.

Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

Freedom of Information

Information about the General Practitioners and the practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public. All requests for such information should be made to the practice manager.

Access to Records

Introduction

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation, patients (data subjects) have the right to access their data and any supplementary information held by Dr Virmani & Dr Bedi; this is commonly known as a data subject access request (DSAR). Data subjects have a right to receive:

Confirmation that their data is being processed

Access to their personal data

Access to any other supplementary information held about them

Options for access

As of April 2016, practices have been obliged to allow patients access to their health record online. This service will enable the patient to view coded information held in their health record. Prior to accessing this information, you will have to visit the practice and undertake an identity check before being granted access to your records.

In addition, you can make a request to be provided with copies of your health record. To do so, you must submit a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) form; this can be submitted electronically and the DSAR form is available here. Alternatively, a paper copy of the DSAR is available from reception. You will need to submit the form online or return the completed paper copy of the DSAR to the practice. You will also have to verify your identity at the time of submission. This includes electronic submissions. Patients do not have to pay a fee for copies of their records.

Time frame

Once the DSAR form is submitted, Dr Virmani & Dr Bedi will aim to process the request within 21 days; however, this may not always be possible. The maximum time permitted to process DSARs is one calendar month.

Exemptions

There may be occasions when the data controller will withhold information kept in the health record, particularly if the disclosure of such information is likely to cause undue stress or harm to you or any other person.

Data controller

At Dr Virmani & Dr Bedi the data controller is DR VIRMANI and should you have any questions relating to accessing your medical records, please ask to discuss this with the named data controller.

Complaints

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

To pursue a complaint please contact the Complaints Manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately. Further written information regarding the complaints procedure is available here in our leaflet or from reception.

Equality and Diversity

The practice is committed to both eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity amongst our workforce and in relation to our patients and service users.

The practice and its staff will not discriminate on grounds of gender, marital status, race, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, religion or age.

All employees, whether part-time, full-time or temporary, will be treated fairly and with respect. Selection for employment, promotion, training or any other benefit will be on the basis of aptitude and ability. All employees will be helped and encouraged to develop their full potential to meet practice and personal needs.

The practice will:

create an environment in which individual differences and the contributions of staff are recognised and valued.

ensure that every employee has a working environment that promotes dignity and respect

ensure that no form of intimidation, bullying or harassment is tolerated

provide training, development and progression opportunities to all staff

promote equality in the workplace as good management practice

review all employment practices and procedures to ensure fairness

regard breaches of the equality policy misconduct and could lead to disciplinary proceedings

review the policy annually.

The practice will consider monitoring of job applicants to ensure that equality policies are in place and working. This may include the collection of information relating to:

Gender

race

disability

age

Where this is carried out the information will be requested on a separate page in the application papers which can be detached. Completion by candidates will be optional. The information sheet will be removed from the selection process and held separately and for monitoring only. The application papers will make this clear.

Violence Policy

The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.

Chaperone Policy

The relationship between the clinician and patient is based on trust and chaperones are a safeguard for the both parties at Dr Virmani & Dr Bedi. The role of a chaperone is vital in maintaining a good standard of practice during consultations and examinations.

A full copy of our practice policy regarding chaperones can be found here.